


Underworld Blues

by hotchoco195



Series: Hel on Earth [2]
Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Family Issues, Gen, Loki Needs a Hug, Niflheim, Post-Thor (2011), The Void, The dead - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-05
Updated: 2015-06-05
Packaged: 2018-04-03 00:09:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4079143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotchoco195/pseuds/hotchoco195
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An interlude</p>
            </blockquote>





	Underworld Blues

Hel loaded the last of Jane’s bags into the car and shut the door. “Are we ready to go?”

“Just two seconds!” the scientist raised a hand as she rushed past.

The queen rolled her eyes and sat on the hood, hands in her lap as she took a last look at the empty horizon. Soon they would be in New York, surrounded by towers and planes and people. She would miss the quiet perhaps, but then more activity meant less boredom, and she hated nothing so much as being bored.

A bird wheeled above the ruined shops of the main street and turned towards her. It was very black against the morning sky, almost like a silhouette. It swooped down, wings flicking back, and landed in the goddess’ lap.

“Munin?” her brows shot up as she recognised the raven.

He cawed, settling himself on her skirts before holding up one leg, a small golden scroll tied to it.

Hel was too startled to do anything, staring at him. Odin’s ravens were not common messengers; they carried news to the Allfather and no one else. Munin croaked expectantly and she shook herself.

“Apologies.”

She untied the note, conjuring a handful of seed on the car next to her. The raven stepped over her leg to peck at it while she unrolled the message, the runes glinting in the sun.

_Bifrost damaged. Loki fell from the bridge – Thor_

She sat back against the windscreen, arms going limp. Loki fell? How? Why? Was two sentences all she got? Though from the sounds of it she was lucky to get that, if the Bifrost was broken. She should have been grateful Thor bothered to say anything at all, but all Hel could do was curse him for surprising her, and giving her a thousand questions. Was she supposed to assume her father was dead?

“They could have at least sent your brother with a part 2.” She said wetly, stroking a hand down Munin’s back.

Jane walked out of the lab with a handful of paper and stopped, frowning. “Hel?”

“I think…I think I need to meet you in New York.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I have had word from Uncle Thor.” She indicated the raven.

“Oh. Is he okay?” Jane said hesitantly.

“He appears well enough. Have you a pen?”

The brunette fumbled through the pockets of her jeans before finding one in her shirt, holding it out. Hel slid off the car, taking it and flipping the parchment over.

“What’s with the bird?” Jane stuck her lip out curiously, creeping closer.

Hel scrawled down a couple of messy runes and rolled the paper up, beckoning to Munin. The raven dragged himself away from the food reluctantly, holding out his leg. She tied the note to him and he took off, screeching as he climbed in the sky.

“What did you say?”

“That I understand. If you’ll excuse me?” she opened a glowing portal in the air, the edges rippling like curtains.

“Uh, sure. Are you okay, honey? You’re kinda…serious in a scary way.”

“Give my apologies to Clinton, would you?” the goddess said, stepping through.

 

The cold emptiness of Niflheim closed around her immediately. The dark halls rose up like a chasm, silvery shades drifting past with their mouths open in silent moans. They parted to let her through as she strode towards the throne, dress flapping against the stone floor. She wasn’t sure what had taken place in the moments before Loki fell, but she doubted they were heroic enough to get him into Valhalla.

The goddess fell into her chair, hands gripping the silver arms tensely. “Come forward, Loki of Asgard.”

The assorted shades stopped, looking at her and then each other in slow, silent confusion. She sighed.

“Come forward, Loki Odinson.”

Nothing happened. She tapped a nail against the metal, scowling. His shade should have been able to hear her no matter where he was in the realm, and he couldn’t refuse a demand from the queen. If he wasn’t in Niflheim, maybe he was at the Eternal Feast after all? She’d like that – they’d had their recent differences, but he was her father. She didn’t want him to end up here, drifting aimlessly like the other dishonoured souls.

But what if he wasn’t actually dead?

Thor said he fell – that didn’t mean anything for someone like Loki who could travel in the space between realms. He could have ended up anywhere. Hel twirled a hand, white light growing outwards to create a disc. When it was a decent size, she sat back.

“Show me my father.”

The disc darkened and pulsated, clearing to show a small pale figure curled up against a rocky surface somewhere very black and barren. The god had cuts on his cheeks and hollow eyes, but he was definitely the Loki she knew. And he looked frightened.

*****

Loki tried to make himself smaller, cowering against the rock like he could press himself into it if he tried hard enough. High above him blue light undulated like waves across the void, creatures larger and more terrifying than he’d ever seen slowly circling his island of mock-safety. He heard whispers, the sound right in his ear though he couldn’t see the source. A circle opened in front of him and he flinched, turning his face away from the sudden light.

“Father?”

“Hel?” he gaped, lifting his head slowly.

The goddess crouched beside him. “Father, are you well?”

She reached a hand out and he hissed, jerking back.

“Apologies,” she said quietly, “Are you injured?”

“What are you doing here?”

“I heard you were dead.”

He laughed, high and broken. “So you came to pay your respects?”

“I came to see if you needed my help. Why do you linger in this place?” she wrinkled her nose.

Loki’s eyes grew huge and horrified and he sprang up, grabbing her wrists. “You need to leave.”

“What?”

“Get out of here, go – now!”

“I shall, if you come with me.”

He shook his head vehemently. “Do not let yourself be seen here. They-”

“They whom?” Hel prodded when he didn’t continue, “Whom are you afraid of, Father?”

“Nobody. Just get out of my sight.” He released her, wriggling into the rock again.

She grabbed his chin, forcing the trickster to meet her eyes. “I am afraid of no one, Father, not even Death – the Allfather could not best me, as you well know. Tell me who keeps you here and I will smite them.”

“Perhaps I simply do not wish to leave.”

She arched a brow. “You enjoy this place?”

The god bristled, slapping her hand away. “Why do you even care what happens to me? You were quick to side with my enemies not long ago. Some daughter, standing between me and my destiny!”

“You were wrong to attack Uncle Thor, and I believe you know it. I only wanted to stop you before you did something you regretted-”

“And so like Odin, like Thor, you made my decisions for me?”

“I love you, Father. I would never betray you without good reason, and certainly not for my own ends.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint you but I’m not dead, Hel, so you have no claim over me. Leave.”

High above them, something gave an animalistic wail that echoed off the floating rock islands and made Loki shiver. Hel fisted her hands against her legs.

“I’m not abandoning you here.”

“You cannot hope to win my forgiveness.” The lie god spat.

“If you are not dead now, you will be soon!” she waved at their surroundings, “Come with me.”

“I am not dancing to anyone’s tune anymore, daughter. You may find it repulsive but at least here I am far from grasping hands.”

“I don’t believe that.”

“Believe what you like.” He gave a half-shrug.

Hel bit her lip. “Father? How did you come to fall from the Bifrost?”

 

Loki’s eyes narrowed, bright with fury. “Ask your beloved uncle.”

“He is trapped in Asgard, and I cannot appear there without drawing the Allfather’s wrath.”

“Then I guess you must stay unsatisfied.”

“This obstinacy is beneath you. I thought you were smarter.” She scowled.

“I will not be spoken to like an infant!”

“Then stop _behaving like one_.”

There was a silence, both gods crossing their arms over their chests as they glared at each other. Hel wanted to scream at him, but she knew better than to attract the attention of those things gliding around in the darkness. She should have just yanked him through the portal as soon as she saw him; now if she forced him to leave with her, he would only hate her even more.

She sat down on the stone, wrapping her skirts around her to ward off the chill. “Father, perhaps I was wrong to assume I knew better than you. For that I am sorry. I have spent enough centuries watching beings across all the realms to know each creature must have its own free will, and I should not have coddled you so. But I didn’t want Uncle Thor to die.”

“You chose him over me.” the liesmith scoffed.

“It was not about choosing, Father. I do not love him better, merely enough that I don’t wish to see him harmed. If someone threatened Frigga or Jormungand or Fenrir or Sleipnir, I would stop them just the same. It does not mean I have a favourite.”

“Thor let you rot in Niflheim,” Loki growled, “He did nothing to contest the Allfather’s banishment of you, or any of my children.”

“You didn’t either.” She said, a cold tone creeping into her voice.

“And so you thought to punish me by ruining my plans?”

“I’d say you ruined them long before I got involved.”

“Your apologies are worthless! You _still_ think you know best.”

“Maybe I do! Maybe you’ve gone insane while I wasn’t looking.”

Loki waved a hand at her. “Go back to your kingdom, Hel, where the shades bow down as they should. I will not kneel for you, or anyone.”

“You will disappear into yourself instead?”

“Perhaps.”

“Please,” she whispered, “Father, if you ever loved any of your children at all, you won’t run from us like this. You are free of Asgard now – we could be a family.”

“It only makes sense that I should birth a pack of liars and traitors. I want no family, little queen. I need no ordinary bonds.”

He turned his back completely, ignoring her. Hel’s hands shook as she hugged her knees, blinking away the tears that threatened to escape. She stood, sniffing subtly.

“Then I shall leave you to your _extraordinary_ fate.”

*****

Clint checked his radar with a glance, adjusting his grip on the wheel. There was nothing but blue skies between him and Manhattan, and no one looking over his shoulder griping about his speed. There was a faint shimmer in the corner of his eye and he jerked his head as Hel appeared in the co-pilot’s seat.

“Hel? What are you doing here? Not that I’m not thrilled to see ya, but Dr Foster said you were gonna meet us in New York.”

“I went to Niflheim.” She said softly, voice slightly ragged.”

“Everything okay?” he frowned.

She kept her eyes on the clouds ahead, face blank. “My father is gone.”


End file.
